On January 14, 2023, the Fort Walton Beach Police Department made a number of felony drug and weapons arrests at an apartment building on Chestnut Avenue.
According to a press release from the department, an officer responding to a call for service noticed a group of five males near the building and became suspicious of possible illegal narcotics activity. As he approached the group to question them, the suspects fled on foot.
- Additional officers were called in to assist with the search and all five suspects were eventually located and detained.
The Fort Walton Beach Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit and Criminal Investigations Division were then able to obtain two search warrants, one for a vehicle and one for an apartment at the Chestnut Avenue address.
The search of the vehicle turned up a handgun with no serial number, an AR-pistol, and crack cocaine. The apartment search uncovered:
- An AK-pistol.
- A stolen handgun from Walton County that had been modified to fire in a fully automatic mode.
- 700 grams of marijuana.
- 91 grams of fentanyl.
The fentanyl was found to have been pressed to resemble oxycodone pills, which is a serious problem in the region and nation with fentanyl being disguised as other drugs.
According to the Fort Walton Beach Police Department, there has been an increase in drug overdoses in the area in recent years, and the department is committed to combating the problem.
“A lethal dose of fentanyl can be as little as 2mg,” the statement noted.
As a result of the investigation, five individuals were arrested and charged with felony drug and weapons offenses, including an 18-year-old and two 16-year-olds.
